Maya slams Congress at jumbo meet

After accepting a garland of currency notes instead of flowers at the BSP rally to celebrate its silver jubilee on Monday, Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati chose to train her guns on the Congress rather than the SP or the BJP, reports Rajesh Kumar Singh. Show of strength: In pics | Stats

After accepting a garland of currency notes instead of flowers at the Bahujan Samaj Party rally to celebrate its silver jubilee on Monday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati chose to train her guns on the Congress rather than the Samajwadi Party (SP) or BJP.

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Seemingly rattled by the Congress resurgence in the state, she sought to belittle general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s visits to Dalit homes by saying, “Though he eats and sleeps in Dalit homes, his party has done nothing for the constituency.”

Though Mayawati spared the SP her barbs, its chief Mulayam Singh Yadav lambasted the BSP extravaganza in Parliament. “While Bareilly is on fire, the Mayawati government is spending Rs 200 crore on a rally,” he said. No BSP leader was willing to reveal how much money the party had spent.

But it was an event to drive home the message that the BSP stood by the Dalit cause.

Addressing lakhs of party cadres and supporters, Mayawati, said, “Till I’m alive, I’ll continue to work for the Dalit movement and ensure that they hold their heads high. Though the BSP is now a sarva samaj (all communities) party, I am proud of the Dalits and vow to take the mission started by Kanshi Ram forward.” The BSP chief also used the occasion to rebut the opposition’s charge that she had spent huge amounts of public money to have her own statues built. “I would like to ask which book of law states that statues of living persons cannot be erected.” Exhorting party workers to spread the Dalit movement all over India, Mayawati said, “We started from scratch 25 years ago. Today, we are in power in the country’s biggest state. When we celebrate the party's golden jubilee, our achievement should be much higher because by then the party will have a national base.”
(With inputs from HTC, Delhi)